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Former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will forever be part of the state's history later this week. Since 2010, The Trail of Governors Foundation has made it a priority to honor South Dakota’s chief executives in a "unique and lasting manner."  The organization celebrates the leaders of South Dakota who shaped our state, and soon, former Governor Kristi Noem will have her statue added to this tradition.

There was an outrage among Sioux Falls residents late last week when it was announced city pools were to close on Sunday, August 9th. Apparently, Sioux Falls was not a fan of summer ending early. After outcries of keeping pools open longer, the City of Sioux Falls heard your voices and will keep the City Outdoor Pools open an extra week.

It wasn't always a given that the state we reside in would be named "South Dakota". In fact, it came very close to being labeled something entirely different. Imagine if the geography books of today looked a little different. Instead of the Twin Cities being the gateway to the Mount Rushmore State, you might have found yourself crossing the border into the State of Winona.

At the height of the Cold War, many of America's western states saw an abundance of Missile Silos. When tensions between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were at their peak, the frozen conflict spurred the Americans to quickly install over 1,000 Minuteman ICBM Missile Silos west of the Mississippi River. Kansas had the most, but other Great Plains States (Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota) weren't all that far behind.

These days, most people want their business to show up on Google, but the wealthiest residents in Minnesota are fighting to stay invisible. This small town consistently ranks among the richest communities in the state; however, if you try to look it up on Google Street View, you'll hit a brick wall. It's around 12 miles north of St. Paul, right in the heart of the Twin Cities Metro, yet many have never even heard of its existence. And those who live there would like to keep it that way.

It's a stone that, if ever proven to be authentic, could rewrite the history books for the state of South Dakota. Yet, most who live within the state's borders have never even heard of it. On March 14, 1887, two Norwegian immigrants, Louis and Ivan Thoen, were digging around Lookout Mountain in South Dakota's Black Hills when they struck a piece of sandstone. But this wasn't any old rock in the dirt.

Last week, while driving along Highway 20 in Iowa, a lone motorcycle zipped past me. Normally, I wouldn't think twice of it, but this particular Harley driver had a large patch on the back of his leather jacket that read "Sons of Silence". I had seen this type of logo before, but never really delved into it too deeply. And down the rabbit hole I went.

Let’s take a trip back in time, but probably not quite as far back as you might think. The year was 1990. If you drove past a simple, ordinary house in Ottumwa, Iowa, back then, you wouldn't have thought twice about it. But if you walked inside, your mind would have been blown. Stacked floor-to-ceiling was a massive maze of over 23,000 rare, stolen books. We're talking 19 tons of paper hiding the walls and filling almost every inch of the house. The craziest part?

A massive ongoing road construction project in eastern Sioux Falls is entering a new phase. Beginning Monday (August 3rd), multiple lane closures will take effect on Veterans Parkway between 57th Street and 18th Street, and between Sixth Street and Maple Street. The closures will allow crews to install pavement markings for an additional lane of travel. At least one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open at all times.

If you've been meaning to make one more trip to the pool this summer, now's the time. The City of Sioux Falls will close its outdoor pools for the season on Sunday, August 9, bringing the curtain down on what turned out to be one of the busiest summers yet. READ MORE: Minnesota & Iowa's State Fair Food Ranked Among America's Best More than 167,000 swimmers cooled off at city pools this season - a huge jump from last year.